Travel case for infant supplies

ABSTRACT

An upwardly opening open-top housing including opposite side and end walls interconnected at their lower marginal edge portions by means of a bottom wall extending therebetween with a top wall being provided and removably positionable over the open upper side of the housing for closing the latter. The inside of the housing includes parallel spaced upstanding partitions dividing the housing interior into three longitudinally spaced compartments and one of the end compartments includes a horizontal partition spaced at least slightly above the bottom wall of the housing and having openings formed therethrough whereby upright containers such as feeding bottles and jars of baby food resting on the bottom wall and projecting upwardly through the horizontal partition may be supported against lateral shifting into engagement with each other. Also, the underside of the top wall of the housing includes means by which an inverted facial tissue box may be removably supported from the top wall for ready dispensing of facial tissues therefrom when the top wall is swung to its open position.

United States Patent [191 Carter et al.

[111 3,732,955 1 May 15, 1973 [54] TRAVEL CASE FOR INFANT SUPPLIES [22]Filed: July 22, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 165,120

Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Assistant Examiner-John J. LoveAttorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [5 7] ABSTRACT Anupwardly opening open-top housing including 0pposite side and end wallsinterconnected at their lower marginal edge portions by means of abottom wall extending therebetween with a top wall being provided andremovably positionable over the open upper side of the housing forclosing the latter. The inside of the housing includes parallel spacedupstanding partitions dividing the housing interior into threelongitudinally spaced compartments and one of the end compart mentsincludes a horizontal partition spaced at least slightly above thebottom wall of the housing and having openings formed therethroughwhereby upright containers such as feeding bottles and jars of baby foodresting on the bottom wall and projecting upwardly through thehorizontal partition may be supported against lateral shifting intoengagement with each other. Also, the underside of the top wall of thehousing includes means by which an inverted facial tissue box may beremovably supported from the top wall for ready dispensing of facialtissues therefrom when the top wall is swung to its open position.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENT SHEET 2 BF 2 Fig. 3

Norman 7? Car/er Margaret A. Car/er 1 TRAVEL CASE FOR INFANT SUPPLIESThe travel case of the instant invention has been specifically designedfor the storage of infant supplies and has been constructed in a mannerwhereby various infant supplies contained therein may be readily locatedand removed from the travel case when needed.

The main object of this invention is to provide a readily portableenclosure for containing infant supplies.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediatelypreceding objects, is to provide a container for infant supplies withthe interior of the container subdivided into individual compartments ina manner such that various forms of infant supplies may be placed withinthe container for ease in access thereto and removal of the suppliesfrom the container, whenever desired.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a container inaccordance with the preceding objects constructed in a manner whereby itmay be readily transported from one location to another and stored in acompact area when not in use.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a travel case for infant supplies which will conform toconventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy touse so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, longlasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carrying case of the instantinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional viewtaken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 ofFIG. 1 and with the top or cover of the case pivoted to an open positionand the closed position of the top illustrated in phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially uponthe plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the planeindicated by the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upona plane passing through the overcenter latch for the cover of the travelcase; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary rear perspective view illustrating the manner inwhich the cover is hingedly supported from the housing.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates the carrying case of the instant invention. Thecase 10 includes a cover or top wall assembly referred to in general bythe reference numeral 12 and a generally rectangular upwardly openinghousing referred to in general by the reference numeral 14 relative towhich the cover or top wall assembly 12 is swingable between the openand closed positions.

The housing 14 includes front and rear walls 16 and 18 as well asopposite end walls 20 and 22 interconnected by means of a bottom wall 24extending and secured between the lower marginal edge portions of thewalls 16, 18, 20 and 22.

The housing 14 includes a pair of front to rear extending generallyparallel partitions 26 and 28 extending between the front and rear walls16 and 18 at points spaced longitudinally along the housing 14. Thepartitions 26 and 28 subdivide the interior of the housing 14 intofirst, second and third compartments A, B and C, respectively, and thecompartment B includes its own partition 30 extending between the:partitions 26 and 28 and which further subdivides the compartment B intofront and rear compartment sections B and B". Still further, thecompartment C has a partition 32 disposed therein which generallyparallels the bottom wall 24 and is spaced above the latter a distanceequal to approximately one-third the distance from the bottom wall 24 tothe top of the housing 14. The partition 32 includes three openings 34formed therein and also three openings 36 formed therein.

As may best be seen from FIG. 4 of the drawings, three feeding bottles38 may be rested upon the bottom wall 24 within the compartment C withthe bottles 38 projecting upwardly through the openings 34 and thusretained against excessive lateral shifting within the housing 14. Inaddition, three jars 40 of baby food may rest upon the upper surface ofthe bottom wall 24 within the compartment C and project upwardly throughthe openings 36 whereby the jars 40 will also be retained againstexcessive lateral shifting within the housing 14.

Folded diapers 41 may be positioned within the compartment section B andfeeding accessories such as a cup 42, a spoon 44 and a bib 46 as well asother accessories may be positioned within the compartment section B.Finally, various other infant supplies may be positioned within thecompartment A;

With reference now more specifically to FIGS. 4 and 6 of the drawings,it will be noted that the upper marginal edges of the walls l6, 18, 20and 22 terminate upwardly in a laterally outwardly projecting continuousperipheral flange 50 and that the base edge portion of the flange 50includes an upstanding flange 52 extending peripherally about the openupper end of the housing 14. Further, the upper marginal edge portion ofthe rear wall 18 of the housing 14 includes upwardly pro- 50 jectingspaced journal blocks 54 and it may be seen that similar dependingjournal blocks 56 and 58 are carried by the depending skirt portion 60of the rear marginal edge of the top wall portion 62 of the coverassembly 12. Of course, the opposite end edges of the top wall portion62 include similar depending skirt portions 64 and 66 and the forwardmarginal edge portion of the top wall portion 62 includes a dependingskirt portion 68.

The depending skirt portions 60, 64, 66 and 68 terminate downwardly in acontinuous outwardly projecting flange 70 extending about the peripheryof the open underside of the top wall assembly 12 and the flange 70includes a depending peripheral flange 72 which is telescoped over theflange 52 when the top wall assembly 12 is in the closed positionthereof illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

The central area of the top wall portion 62 includes a downwardlyrecessed portion 74 in which a pivoted bail-type handle 76 is secured.Of course, it will be noted that the handle 76 may be swung from anupstanding operative position to a horizontal position with the handle76 fully received within the upwardly opening recess 78 defined abovethe downwardly depressed portion 74.

Further, the underside of the top wall portion 62 has a pair of hooksupports 80 and 82 secured thereto and a continuous elastic member 84has its opposite end loops engaged with the members 80 and 82 in amanner such that the parallel reaches 86 of the elastic member 84 may bestretched away from the inner surface of the top wall portion 62 inorder to position an inverted box 88 of facial tissues against theundersurface of the top wall portion 62 with the box 88 held in positionagainst the top wall portion 62 by means of the elastic member 84. Inthis manner, with the box 88 inverted, when the cover or top wallassembly 12 is pivoted to the open position thereof illustrated in FIG.2 of the drawings, facial tissues may be readily withdrawn from the box88.

The front skirt portion 68 and upper marginal portion of the front wall16 include coacting over-center latch components 92 and 94 whereby thecover or top wall assembly 12 may be latched in the closed positionthereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

It will be noted that the upper edge portions of the various partitions26, 28 and 30 terminate at an elevation spaced below the lower portionof the box 88 supported within the top wall assembly 12 when the latteris in its closed position. Accordingly, there is no interference betweenthe box 88 and other components of the case 10. Also, it will be notedthat the case may have the various wall and partition portions thereofformed of various materials including fiber glass and various forms ofplastics and/or metals. Also, the compartment C may be provided withsuitable resistance type electrically actuated heating means operablefrom a source of electrical potential expected to be readily availableaccording to the environment in which the case 10 is to be used.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A travel case for infant supplies, said case including an upwardlyopening open top housing including opposite side and end wallsinterconnected at their lower marginal edge portions by means of abottom wall extending therebetween, a top wall removably positionableover the open upper side of said housing for closing the same, a firstpair of generally parallel laterally spaced and upstanding partitionssupported in said housing with each extending between correspondingportions of said side walls and spaced longitudinally of the housingfrom the end walls thereof, thereby dividing the interior of saidhousing into a pair of opposite end compartments and a centralcompartment disposed between said partitions, said top wall includingdownwardly directed opposite end and side flanges extending about theperiphery of said top wall, the lower marginal edge of one of said sideflanges being pivotally supported from the upper marginal edge of thecorresponding side wall of said housing for swinging movement of saidtop wall into and out of position closing said open top housing, and apair of anchors secured to the undersurface of said top wall at pointsadjacent said end flanges and spaced apart longitudinally of said topwall, a pair of generally parallel elastic member sections extendingbetween corresponding transversely spaced portions of said top wall,said elastic member sections being adapted to be stretched beneath anarticle, such as an inverted box of facial tissues, and to therebyyieldingly cradle said article beneath said top wall, said upstandingpartitions terminating upwardly a spaced distance below the uppermarginal edge portions of said side and end walls and a sufficientdistance below said top wall to enable said article to be supported fromsaid top wall above said upstanding partitions, said top wall includinga downwardly displaced central portion spaced between said anchors anddefining an upwardly open recess in the upper surface of said top walland an abutment projecting downwardly from the undersurface of said topwall, and a bail-type handle wholly receivable in said recess andpivotally anchored to said central portion.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein one of said end compartmentsincludes a horizontal partition spaced above said bottom wall andextending between and supported from the corresponding end wall andadjacent upstanding partition as well as said side walls, saidpartitions being disposed below the vertical midpoint of said housingand having article receiving openings formed therethrough adapted tohave the lower ends of such articles as baby bottles and baby food jarsand cans received downwardly therethrough whereby such articles may reston said bottom wall and project upwardly through said openings forlateral support by the edges of said horizontal partition defining saidopenings.

1. A travel case for infant supplies, said case including an upwardlyopening open top housing including opposite side and end wallsinterconnected at their lower marginal edge portions by means of abottom wall extending therebetween, a top wall removably positionableover the open upper side of said housing for closing the same, a firstpair of generally parallel laterally spaced and upstanding partitionssupported in said housing with each extending between correspondingportions of said side walls and spaced longitudinally of the housingfrom the end walls thereof, thereby dividing the interior of saidhousing into a pair of opposite end compartments and a centralcompartment disposed between said partitions, said top wall includingdownwardly directed opposite end and side flanges extending about theperiphery of said top wall, the lower marginal edge of one of said sideflanges being pivotally supported from the upper marginal edge of thecorresponding side wall of said housing for swinging movement of saidtop wall into and out of position closing said opEn top housing, and apair of anchors secured to the undersurface of said top wall at pointsadjacent said end flanges and spaced apart longitudinally of said topwall, a pair of generally parallel elastic member sections extendingbetween corresponding transversely spaced portions of said top wall,said elastic member sections being adapted to be stretched beneath anarticle, such as an inverted box of facial tissues, and to therebyyieldingly cradle said article beneath said top wall, said upstandingpartitions terminating upwardly a spaced distance below the uppermarginal edge portions of said side and end walls and a sufficientdistance below said top wall to enable said article to be supported fromsaid top wall above said upstanding partitions, said top wall includinga downwardly displaced central portion spaced between said anchors anddefining an upwardly open recess in the upper surface of said top walland an abutment projecting downwardly from the undersurface of said topwall, and a bail-type handle wholly receivable in said recess andpivotally anchored to said central portion.
 2. The combination of claim1 wherein one of said end compartments includes a horizontal partitionspaced above said bottom wall and extending between and supported fromthe corresponding end wall and adjacent upstanding partition as well assaid side walls, said partitions being disposed below the verticalmid-point of said housing and having article receiving openings formedtherethrough adapted to have the lower ends of such articles as babybottles and baby food jars and cans received downwardly therethroughwhereby such articles may rest on said bottom wall and project upwardlythrough said openings for lateral support by the edges of saidhorizontal partition defining said openings.